XXVI
Toralei listens to his every word, with an attention all her teachers would kill to get from her, or from any student for that matter, her emerald feline eyes staring deeply into his eyes sparkling with mischief and the joy of getting something they really wanted, those sharp and intense silvery-blue eyes (or are they bluish-silver? Don't think there is a difference, she still thinks they're green thanks to his yellow shades).
For her it is pleasure of stealing something bigger than a wallet or a concert ticket, the chance to steal money like she never thought she would, for him it is more personal than anything, he wouldn't tell her what his deal is though. Doesn't matter. Not only is a devilry like he has only dreamt of, it is a message to all those selfish bastards rich men who steal from the poor and cement their richness in their misery, those who only live to take and never giving: not any more.
10:12 P. House, Clawdeen and Howleen's room.
Staring indecisive, Clawdeen ponders what should I wear tomorrow?
Whatever her reasons are, a woman will always have a good deal of seductive clothes in her closet from which to choose for that special occasion, and that special man, or woman.
And Clawdeen, oh Clawdeen has that in abundance, and maybe that is the problem here, she has so much she can't decide what to wear. She possesses an assortment of dresses and ensembles like very few ghouls do, most of them designed by herself. She has always lived by the motto dress to impress. But a true irony it seems, she has rarely used in a real date. She has always been so busy with school and all her crazy adventures, to ever worrying about dating. Not to mention her overprotective brothers who always —
No! No! Knock it off with the excuses for her! She doesn't know how to date. Period! This is on her! No guy has ever had the balls to ask her out in a date, and when a guy in whom she is interested asks her out, she jut get the cod feet, her of all people!
That is so not true. She has dated twice, once with that vampire guy Thad — and a bad idea it was — and then there was that other time she kinda dated the Gorgon g — another terrible, even worse idea it was. Just look how they both ended, one spent six weeks stalking her and the other — I think they're friends now.
Barely. And this is more ammo for my arsenal, she has only dated twice and she doesn't know how to pick them! These stupid kids today with their stupid "confusions" and inability to choice then right person in a date. I mean, sure not all relationships or dates work out, but to waste that much sex appeal and time doing anything but dating,when you know you can have nearly anyone in a room. And yet you don't?! Like why?!
If you can hear me, and with those big ears you better, tell me why would a frightfully tall ghoul like you, with such remarkable qualities and such incredible, if not desirable and enviable look, would stay single for so long?
Ad don't say I this because you have found the right one, because you can't find them if you don't try.
Do you realize how stupid you are sometimes? Yet, you're right, what's your problem, ghoul? How hard is it to have a date when you're one of the hottest chicks at school?
You know what? I don't wanna know, at least the dry period seems to be ending, but the problem remains, what she she wear for tomorrow? She doesn't even know where is he taking her so she can't know if she will be overdressed or underdressed there is a difference between dressing fabulously and dressing too much.
Well, he said it was a fancy place, so probably a night gown would be a good choice, I have a few I havent't worn in a a while, she thinks, looking at her Black Carpet ensemble. I remember this one, just freaky fabulous, just like all my other outfits. But ifnit was good enought to ewalknon the black carpet with Elissabat, it must be good enough for that restaurant. Then again, how fancy is that place supposed to be? He couldn't even give me the name to check it out for myself. Maybe if I Google human and monster restaurant, New Salem. I don't think there are that many.
Teeming with curiosity, she Googles for that restaurant, and to her surprise there happen to be a lot more of those than she imagined, not just in Massachusetts, but all over the country. In short time she finds the place he was talking about.
"My, he wasn't kidding, that really is a place, and boy it is fancy… and expensive. How is he gonna afford it?"
At least now i know i wont be overdressed, she thinks. Looking at the place, she gets an idea of what kind of night she might get tomorrow. And she even gets so excited, she feels like making a new dress special for this occasion, simply because she can. Only she can't, since she is sort on materials all because her parents won't let her buy new fabric
Staring at her short fabric supply, she mutters "Right now I hate them so much."
Well, I guess I will have to use an old one. Maybe I should try something a little simpler than my usual looks. What do I got that is not so off-putting, but that's stil sexy? Clawdeen grins, scanning with her eyes the content of her wardrobe, searching that one dress perfect for her first date with Keith. As a werewolf, she has an inborn talent for spotting details — same talent her ancestors and wildest cousins use for hunting, spotting the weakest member of a herd, and their weaknesses, only she has repurposed that gift for something more constructive, say finding the right materials for her dresses, the right tools, or, as in this case, the already made drsses she needs, hiding right at the bottom of her closet, behind all the other dresses she has worn at least once. In fact she found two dresses that waited for quite a long time for them to be used at last. Two black dresses that are just perfect for her date tomorrow. Sexy, elegant, and nothing too… extravagant, to make him uncomfortable. Though he would probably be drunk, or under meds, she guesses.
One of them, a tight-fitting black dress with gold trimming around the hems, and golden embellishments around he V-neck which reveals little cleavage, thigh-high hemlines, revealing just enough of her legs, which are beyond any doubt, her greatest attributes.
She shaves her legs for a reason, to use them, and have everyone saying "look at dem legs!"
Really? Y'know what? I'm not going there!
The second dress is actually an unfinished project, much longer than he other, and more elegant, no boubt, with a slit on both sides to show off her fantastic and frightfully long legs, with gold around the hem of the slits and the neckline, which was very low,meant to show-off some shadows of cleavage (surely more than the other), and an open back — or rather no back at all.
And to go with both of them, a golden belt with the phases of the moon.
She meditates on her options for a moment. I could either wear the one that's finished, or I could finish this other with my remaining black and gold fabric. Oh, whom are you kiddng, ghoul? You know you'll take any excuse to sew, specially tonight, besides you need it, it's been so long since we used a needle… I need to relax, it's been so stressing these days, with all that stupid homework, and the work organizing the school fair, and essays — so many essays! I can't imagine how Clawdia lives frighting them all the freaking time, is horrible! A cruel and unusual punishment. She thinks, and as she does, she wonders, trying hard to remember why didn't she finish the dress.
Then two bigger questions come to her mind, one is how are they getting to the restaurant in the first place? Will he ride them there on his bike? 'Cause if he has that in mind, and she really hopes he doesn't, then using an long dress, or a dress at all, is a very bad idea.
The other question is how is she going to scape from the fair? Most likely Bloodgood will be watching them closely, so scaling might be difficult.
Well, he's the one who came up with that brilliant idea, so I'm guessing he must have a plan. He is always the man with the plan. Says Clawdeen to herself, looking at her reflection with the dress over her body, imagining how it would look once it is finished, thinking what could she use to make it whole.
"It deadfinitely need more purple," says she in a very decisive voice. Lucky she still has enough purple.
"Clawdeen, get your ass down here!" Harriet shouts. "You got someone who wants to see you!"
"Great, just what I needed. More distractions."
Groaning, she walks downstairs, asking who it might be. She hasn't had many visits in these past few months.
"Look who's come to visit from all the other side of the world." Harriet says with a smile.
And imagine her surprise hen she gets to the living room and sees no other than her dear old sister Clawdia sitting on the sofa.
"Clawdia! You're here!" shouts Clawdeen in unrestrained excitement, hugging tightly her older sister whom she hasn't seen in person for quite the few years.
"Clawdeen, look at you. You look just the same as when we last met," she says with a smile. Her voice sounds different from how she remembers.
"Yeah, well. I'm already in that age when I stop aging." Clawdeen grins at her.
"Lucky. You got no idea how much I wanted to get there while I still looked as a teenager, but I didn't."
"Nonsense, you still look like seventeen. I bet if you go to Monster High tomorrow, you could totally pose as one of the students. Maybe even get enrolled again," she jokes. And in fact, Clawdia, her 22 year old sister still looks as a teenager.
Some people should be arrested for being so criminally super-young-looking, and hot.
"Yeah… I just graduated college. Last thing I need is to go back to the drudgery of high school. Although I could use some of the drama. I have ran low on inspiration thsse days."
"Yeah well, lucky you. Drama is all we got at school," says she with faint sadness in her voice. "The woes of youth I guess!" exclaims with with a smile.
"So not like Londoom, where everyone is so cold."
"You gotta tell me more about it." Clawdeen pleads.
"I see you ghouls got some catching up to do," their mom says leaving to the kitchen.
"Come. Let's go to the room so you can tell me all that's happened while I was gone. Specialty this year, and so I can tell you all about the Mother Land."
"Fine, but not promising you're gonna like everything you hear. Nice British accent."
"Well, live in Londoom long enough and you'll sound just like one of them too. Although I still prefer Scottish." Clawdia retorts.
"I prefer ours," says Clawdeen with a streak of pride in her voice, making their Brooklyn-like accent stronger.
"Good thing I haven't lost it yet." Clawdia speaks with her normal voice.
10:48 P.M.
"I still don't get this part of the plan." Toralei complains, walking through the catacombs in an parrt she never even imagined.
"I told you, once we get to the end, we'll go up, and over the distance left on the surface, using ghost sand from the bogie man." Retorts Keith.
""Why can't we go all the way as ghosts?"
"I like the challenge. Plus I don't trust you to listen when I tell you don't go astray messing with people while invisible."
"True." She admits with a smirk.
"We need to be inconspicuous. The catacombs end very near the area where the super rich live. Once there it will be an easy trip with no distractions!"
"You really take the fun of it." She meows.
"We'll get fun at the end."
After tweeny more minutes of walking, they find the end of the catacombs, and Keith spread them both with ghost sand.
The change from Solid to Ghost is, in a simple word: weird. And tingly too, but weird the best word. The Loo's of body weight down to absolute zero is really a new experience, to be one with the air, to be able to shove it up gravity's ass and drift away,moving your molecules through solid matter, while shifting the light reflected by your body into a spectrum that no other eyes can see but your own.
The perfect power set for a thief. Thinks Keith as the float into the mansion.
"So basically you're telling me you spent the night with that guy?" Clawdia points out, listening to every word her little sister has said about the recent events of Monster High, since the exchange program to Deuce's attack, and the murder of Jackson/Holt and the near death of Nefera, you go figure which details she spared. And naturally, all she has said about Keith.
"Really? All that story and that's your whole take away?" asks in faint surprise.
Both ghouls are sitting on Calwdeen's bed, with their legs crossed, as if meditating.
"That's the only part I can care about. I mean, sure, it's all tragic, one of your friends got his eyes plucked, but then he got them back! And sure another one died and he was worth two sacrifices, and then Nefera almost dies too, which honestly, well… I was never her fan," Clawdia confesses grimly but without remorse, her little sister silently agrees. "So best I can say is if she had died, I would have had no strong feelings on one way or another. But then you said you got a guy in your bed? Fur real? Now that's something I really want to hear."
"Well, yes. I couldn't just tell him to leave, it was flooding out there — and he came here just to see me. To make sure I was okay."
"Real paragon," Clawdia says in low voice. "You spent the night with him, as in sleeping together?" puts a particular emphasis in the last two words.
"Well, in the most strict sense of the word, yes. We shared a bed — my bed was the only one in the room. Howleen's bed was being dewormed, and I couldn't tell him to sleep on the floor. Though he looks like the kind of guy who doesn't mind that, but I just couldn't do that."
"But you did not — you know — do anything? You really didn't have sex?" asks Clawdia at last.
"What? No!"
"Aren't you guys dating?" sounds a little confused.
"No! We're just… we're just friends," says Clawdeen in a defensive tone.
"Never said otherwise." Clawdia adds promptly.
"Felt like you did."
"But by the way you talk about him — and most important, the fact that you spent the night with him, I must ask don't you want to?" Clawdia continues in an inquisitive, but honest voice.
"I don't know, maybe? Is hard for me to tell how I feel about him. I do like him, but sometimes he is such a pain in the ass, the most arrogant pain in the ass, but then he can be the sweetest pain the ass — that's the only constant about him, one way or another he is always an pain in the ass."
"But you like him. And is clear he likes you a lot. Why else would he do what he did?"
"I don't know, why do men do anything?"
"Is it because he is a normie?"
"No, that's stupid. I never cared about that," says looking at her toe nails.
like that, though. Sure their business depends on normie's and he has no issues working with them or around them, but she has a strong feeling he is not very fond of the idea of a human dating his daughter. No guy is ever good enough for a man's daughter, even more so when they come from such worlds apart, worlds with such history.
Harriet on the other claw, she has no idea what her thoughts would be.
"Is it the looks? Believe me, I won't judge you if you say is the looks, that is always the ultimate deal-breaker," says in an almost derisive voice.
Clawdeen sneers wryly. "It isn't, trust me. He is very cute, kinda wild, edgy, and he's sort of pale, and he has that wonderful dark and brooding look… He is very good-looking actually, even though he doesn't know."
"How does a guy doesn't know he is cute?"
"Well, he only brags about his brains, I don't think he has ever bragged about being good-looking. Even though he really is, with that edgy scary look of his, even when he shows his nerdy side there is this… vibe, I don't think I can explain it. And he's got these eyes that just melt you in the inside," Clawdeen says with a dreamy glow in her eyes.
"Melt you in the inside? Ghoul, I think is clear how you feel about him," Clawdia smiles at her. "Let's see how things go in your date."
"What? I didn't tell you we got a date tomorrow."
"Then I assume is just you and your friends planning to have dinner at that super fancy place," she points at her screen. "And of course those dresses made to show-off your legs, and seduce men, they're just standard issue when you're fanging out with your friends."
"I… well — is just a dinner. We're only going as friends, really."
"Right, because men just love to have dinner with women who are just their friends. Come on. You just told me he came here to see you, in the middle of a storm, only to make sure you won't get hurt by a serial killer. And then you spent the night with him." Clawdia whispers so their mother won't eavesdrop them. In fact, the whole conversation has been in half whisperers. "Plus you said he can be real sweet too."
"Pain in the ass, a sweet pain in the ass, but yeah," says with a faint smile.
"They always are. So maybe this is more than just dinner. Besides, when has a ghoul said no to a bad boy?" Clawdia adds with a little laugh at the end.
"I guess I always liked a bad boy…" Clawdeen smiles weakly, while she remembers that day he confessed her with his darkest secret, "and is not like we are that different."
In fact they don't, his inner darkness struggling inside him to reach out to the light and his fight to control it, is very much like her struggle with the animal she is inside, a beast that grows wilder and stronger, pounding the walls of her soul every full moon night.
"Don't worry, I bet — I bet you can change him," her sister laughs.
"Well, he isn't that bad."
He isn't, she has to believe that.
"If you believe that."
She has to believe that he can fight it, he can fight the beast — that darkness inside him, that she can help him.
"He is quite a bad boy, alright? But as I said he is also quite a nerd himself. He brags about being so damn smart all the freaking time, but that's because he is so damn smart. A real bonus I must say. I don't know, I guess I… like that part of him too. That he is so much smarter than all the other guys, never liked the idea of dating a guy who is all looks and no brain — or all brains and no look — guess he's got the whole package," she sneers. She knows he really isn't, but she likes him that way, "and he is so unpredictable! You never know how things are going to be with him. I mean, just today he asked me to give him some of my blood for a biteology project where he has to watch and study the blood cells from a classmate and he said he could only think of mine to watch. And he was really happy doing that sciency stuff, happier than I have ever seen him actually."
"Wow, he studied your blood, that is… I don't know if it's cute, weird, or creepy."
"How about a bit of all?" Says innocently.
"I usually like to go with C, can never do wrong like that, but if you wanna go with D, fine! Let it be all of the above, I never thought I'd live to see the day when Clawdeen Wolf finally falls for a guy, and a would be Mad Scientists of all. But at least he isn't drinking it." Both werewolf girls chuckle for a while. "Are you sure he isn't planning to make a clone of you?"
"Nah, he said if he did, I would no longer be unique."
"Aww, now that's really cute. You should go with the short dress, by the way," suggests suddenly.
"Ah?"
"The short dress, you should go with it, trust me. It's better for that place."
"I was actually thinking of using the long one. Of course, it needs some work —"
"That slit dress is nice if you are going to a ball." Clawdia cuts her off. "Trust me on this one, is too classy. That place is fancy, but is not that fancy."
"I am not so sure about that," says Clawdeen with a cautious voice. "You know olive by the motto dress to impress."
"Hey, I might not be a fashionista, but I know more about dating than you do. And for what you've told me about him, you have already made quite an impression on him, so no need to overdo. Better to save for a gala evening or… the opera."
"Fine, I will listen to the one whose first and only relationship ended up a month later."
"First of all I have had more relationships than I let you nor our parents know. Secondly: dating Romulus was a mistake; but it doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about, quite the opposite. It means I got more experience and I know about it. And I got quite more experience at dating than you."
"So no chance you guys get together again?"
"Never!" Clawdia spouts quite effusively.
Both girls giggle giddily.
"I doubt he would ever take me to an opera, by the way. I'm pretty sure he would snore in the first ten minutes of the first act, and the only reason I would scold him is because I did the same the first five minutes."
"Oh, how uncultured, these kids today get me on the nerves" says taking her claw to her chest with the best histrionic voice (a very comically exaggerated voice) in with her best British accent. "I guess you will wear it when Clawd and Draculaura finally get engaged. I'm pretty sure that ghoul will throw a rehearsal party that's just as big as a real wedding."
Clawdeen sneers. "That would be an understatement."
"Where is Howleen, by the way?"
"Said she was going to the movies with some friends. She really is on a date with some random guy. She's become quite popular this year, she's even had more dates than me." Clawdeen says bitterly, upset that Howleen gets to be out way past midnight, getting home whenever she wants.
"Actually it is 'than I.'" Her sister corrects her.
"I already got Keith to teach me grammar, don't need you for that too," says Clawdeen peeved.
"Sorry, writer's habit."
12:17 A.M.
Haunting their way into the mansion with boogie man sand was the easy part, stealing his clothes was easier now the really hard part is to find what he really came here to steal. For Toralei just anything valuable —anything that glitters, that is to say silver, gold and platinum jewelry — is a god hit, but for him, he needs a little more.
"This guy's fiancée really has a good life going on here," says appearing over Keith's shoulder while he tries to open the digital safe box.
"Rich people usually do, that is why I hate them." Says coldly while the safe opens.
Ha! And these idiots believe using the pattern security system is better than the traditional code. Then again, I'm always the best at what I do.
In there he finds a few passports, small cash stash just for emergencies, 200.000 $ to be accurate, and a small key.
The thief's price.
"That's what you came here for? A key?" Toralei asks in disbelief.
"And the cash, don't see why not take it now is in front of us," says putting the key inside his jacket, and the money in the bag. "Believe me, if you knew what we came looking for, you would run with your tail between your legs," says with a glitter in his eyes, malice? No, something different… but what could it be, she can't figure out.
"Yeah, whatever," says with fake indifference to hide how hurt she is. Thinking there is something that can be too much for her? How dare he?
"Now, for our prompt scape, how would you like to add grand theft auto to the list?" he asks, poking her intrigue.
Silently, they glide their way to the garage, where there is a large collection of vehicles, the kind you watch in a movie but you'll never ride in real life.
"I say we take the Bugatti." She suggests.
Keith replies with a smirk. "Ghoul, it is you."
"But let me hotwire it."
"Fine, but I'll drive. I'm the one who knows the way."
With an expertise worth of a masterclass, she starts the engine of the vehicle, everything seems to be going smoothly, except the roar of the engine draws the attention of the guards, who come in shouting. But much to their misfortune, it was to late to stop them, they had already phased through the gate and ran onto the road.
Keith drives the Bugatti too fast — faster than he has ever driven a car, given he doesn't really drive cars, bikes were his passion. But that does not mean there are not cars that called to him, and the Bugatti, oh this car is shouting at him. The car has always been a chained lion in a cage of class and steel, forced to seat quiet and look pretty, barely used. And now, now it is finally running through the jungle for which it was always meant to run.
Running away from a master that has chained it, a life as a trophy. If the car had a mouth, it would be shouting in joy the way Toralei does with her head out of the window, mocking the guards chasing them.
So long for stealth.
Fuck stealth!
That's right! He's got his price now, and he would know it's missing, better make it out with style!
Ace of Spades by Motorhead playing as loud as the sound system can.
A pointless and futile effort to capture two thieves that were never there. With the bogeyman's sand he has become the bogeyman of rich kids only he shows up to take your cars and other precious belongings.
In bafflement, the guards look how the car vanishes into the night, and would never guess it would reappear right beneath the town, into the catacombs.
Soon they change back to their real form.
Breaking into a rich man's mansion, stealing their jewelry, running off from the guards in a stolen car. This is by far and away the most exciting night Toralei has ever had.
Her heart beats wildly, her blood saturated with adrenaline, dopamine and so many other chemicals she has no idea work together to create this feeling she has running deep her marrow — Keith feels it too, that feeling that craves for more —and she wants more, so much more!
Thus she jumps upon him, without thinking it once, kissing him, bitting his lips… and he kisses her back, deeply… with tongue… with just a kiss she lets him know just how much she needs this, how much she wants him… his hand slither around her waist…